Blank holder



July 20, 1937,

A. NOVICK BLANK HOLDER Filed Dec. 7, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Abraham NOV/Ck.

ATTORNEYS.

A. NOVICK BLANK HOLDER July 20, 1937.-

Filed Dec. 7, 1954 2 Sheets-Shem; 2

INVENTQR. Abraham Nov/ck.

Q4, ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 20, 1937 D STATES ATENT [OFFICE BLANK HOLDER Application December "1 10 Claims.

This invention relates to blank holders, and has for its object to provide simple and efiicient means for holding a multiplicity of blanks in orderly, stacked form for handling and shipping.

It is an object of the invention to provide a stack holder which can be made at small expense, and which will function. efficiently, with assurance that no disarrangement of the blanks will be permitted.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for retaining the blank stack in assembled relation with the holder, which means can be conveniently applied to the holder and can also be readily detached therefrom when it is desired to release the blanks for use.

This type of holder is disclosed in my Patent No. 1,827,901 and the present invention has for its more specific object to facilitate the insertion of the stock of blanks into the blank magazine of a machine which is about to utilize such blanks.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

' In the drawings forming a part of this specification:

Fig. 1 showsthe blank magazine and a stack of blanks inserted in the magazine but which has not yet been released for use by the machine.

Fig. 2 is a perspective end view of the stack and its holder.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the two steps employed in removing the. holder from the stack and thereby freeing the stack for use by the machine.

For purposes of, illustration, disclosure is made in the drawings of a stack of fastener blanks I of a type employed for de-tachably fastening the seal flap of an envelope down to the body thereof. These blanks at the stage shown in the drawings are flat and are provided with body members 2 and 3 and with end arms 4 and 5, The blanks are designed to. be introduced into the magazine of a machine of a kind well known in the art, in which machine prongs are formed in the body members 2 and 3 and these prongs are clinched to the back of the envelope ready for use. By folding the arms d and 5 of an attached fastener upward into substantial parallelism, passing them through a hole in; the envelope flap, and then folding them down, the flap may be held closed but with capability for being released by again bending the arms 4 and 5 into parallelism.

The blanks are formed of thin metal, and as is evident from an inspection of the drawings, are cross shaped so that opposed reentrant angles occur at the junctions of the body portions 2 and 3 with the arms 4 and 5.

blanks.

1934, Serial No. 756,463

For the purpose of maintaining, a multiplicity of these blanks in orderly assembled relation for shipment to envelope factories and for handling in such factories, provision is made of a staplelike member 6 having parallel legs I and 8 thereof 5 disposed in opposite reentrant angles of the blank stack so as to embrace and interfit with the This staple-like holding member 6 may be of considerable length, and the legs, although. resilient andnot, therefore, permanently distort- 10 able, are bendable to. a limitedextent.

The legs 7 and 8 extend beyond the stack as shown and provision is made of a holding plate 9. which is impaled upon the projecting ends of thelegs I and 8 to maintain thestack against disarrangement. The plate 9 is preferably approximately triangular in shape and is provided with a hole in each corner, these being designated by the numerals I0, II, and I2. The hole l0 re; ceives: the: leg 1 and the hole ll. receives the leg 8. The hole [2 is designed toreoeive the end of the hook-like implement I3, which as will be explained hereinaften, is employed to release the holder from the stack after the holder and stack have been inserted in. ablank magazine. The plate 9 also hasthe cutout portion l4 adjacent the hole. I l thereby forming the horn like corner portion l5 which is; free to be distorted by the application of force to free the plate from leg 8. The legs each have a punched out lug 16 which engage the under face of the plate 9 to hold the same in assembled position Fig. 1 shows a blank magazine ll which is part of a machine for utilizing said blanks. The stack of blanks is placed in the magazine over the residue of blanks still remaining in the magazine, in such a manner that the hole, I2 is exposed in front of the magazine. The projecting ends of the legs of the holder project downwardly and the plate 9, being still attached to the holder, 40 rests upon the previous stack. The implement I3 is now inserted into the hole l2 and the implement is now manipulated by applying an up ward force to the free end of the implement. The curved portion [8 of the implement serves 45 as a. rolling fulcrum against the stack thereby permitting the forceful withdrawal of the plate from the bottom of the stack and frees it from the leg 8. During the operation the portion [5 is distorted, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 thereby permitting the plate 9 to be withdrawn laterally from the bottom of the stock. The holder and plate at this point are as shown in Fig. 3. The leg I is then sprung to the full line position 55 7 shown in Fig. 4 and the member 6 is then Withcomprising anopen-mouthed staple-like mem-l drawn upwardly.

The stack of blanks; is now free in the magazine, and the withdrawal of the holder having been accomplished in the magazine, the stack remains undisturbed throughout the operation.

While I have illustrated and described in detail certain preferred forms'of my invention, it

is to be understood that changes'may be made therein and the invention embodied in other structures. myself to the specific constructions illustrated, but intend to cover my invention broadly in whatever form its principle may be utilized.

I claim:

1. A stack holder for a multiplicity of blanks, comprising an open-mouthed staple-likemember.

having the legs thereof interfitting with the blanks, and a holding plate impaled on. the "legs of -the-staplerlike member, said plate having a pair of openings receiving the legs of the staple like member, and also having a cut out portion adjacent'one of said openings thereby forming aidistortable portion for forcefully freeing said plate from one of said'legs. 7 g

A stack holder for a multiplicity of blanks,

her having the legs thereof interfitting with the 7 blanks, and a holding plate impaled .on the legs A of the staple-like member said plate having an. opening. receiving oneleg of the staple-like memberand having'a hook-like free ended portionengaging .the other ,leg of the staple-like member.

4; A-stack nomerror multiplicity r blanks,

- comprisingan open-mouthed staple-likememper having the legs thereof interfitting with the blanks, and aholding plate impaled on the legs of-the staple-like member, said .platechaving an openingreceivingone leg of the staple-like member and having a'hook-like freeended portion engaging the other leglofthe staple-like member, said .plate also having another, opening for engagement. by an implement for the forceful withdrawal of theplate from engagement with said other leg. i T v 5.A stack holder for a multiplicityof blanks, comprising an open-.mouthed staple-like member having the legs thereof interfitting with the blanks, and a holding platerimpaled on the legs of the staple-likemember, said platehaving an opening receivingone leg of the staple-like member and having a hook-like free ended portion eri'g'agingthe other leg of the staple-like memb'ensaid plate also having another opening for engagementby a hook-like implement for the forceful withdrawal of the plate from engagement with said other leg.

6; A stack holder for a multiplicity of blanks,

comprising an open-mouthed staple-like mem-'- ber having the legs thereof interfitting with the blanks; and a holding plate impaled on the legs I do not, therefore desire to limit of the staple-like member, said plate having an opening receiving one leg of the staple-like member and having a hook-like free ended portion engaging the other leg of the staple-like member, said plate also having another opening for engagement by an implement having a curved hook-like end and forming a rolling fulcrum against the stack for the withdrawal of the plate from engagement with said other leg.

7. A stack holder for a multiplicity of blanks,

comprising an open-mouthed staple-like mem ber having the legs thereof interfitting with the blanks, being separable laterally from said interfitting position, and a holding member for the blanks cooperatingwith the legs of the staplelike member, said holding member being held on said legs against endwise movement, and acting normally to hold said legs against lateral separation,-said member being provided with a pull receiving portion projecting beyond the outline of said blanks and being capable of yielding to stress in a direction substantially parallel to the plane 'of the blanks to move in such direction out of holding position, thereby to free said legs and said blanks simultaneously.

8. A stack holder for a multiplicity of blanks, comprising. an open-mouthed staple-like member having separable wire legs interfitting with the blanks and a holding member for the blanks cooperating with the legs of the staple-like member, said holding member being held on said legs against endwise movement, and acting normally to hold said legs against lateral separation and to retain said blanks upon said staple, said member being deformable under stress applied to the member in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the blanks to move in such direction out of holding position.

9. A stack holder for a multiplicity of blanks, comprising an-open-mouthed staple-like member having the legs thereof interfitting with the blanks and a holding member for the blanks cooperating With the legs of the staple-likemember, said holding member being held on said legs against endwise movement, said member being provided with a pull receiving portion projecting beyond the outline of said blanks and being deformable under stress applied in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the blanks to move in said direction out of holding position, while retaining its association with one of said legs.

10. The method of replenishing blanks in a stack, which consists in mounting the blanks in an open-mouthed staple-like member having separable legs interfitting with the blanks, providing a holding member on said staple-like member to prevent the blanks from passing through the mouth thereof, said holding member being capable of yielding under stress in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said blank to move out of restraining position with reference to said blanks, inserting said holder with its blanks over the residue of blanks of the stack to be replenished, so that said holding member rests upon the said residue of blanks forcing said holding member laterally out of said restraining position, separating said legs laterally to free saidblanks, and removing the staplelike member,

ABRAHAM NOVICK. 

